U. of Idaho gets OK for online offerings; Idaho schools get bullying rules

The University of Idaho’s efforts to increase its online offerings took a step forward Thursday, when the Idaho State Board of Education approved two degree programs while meeting in Boise.

The two online programs proposed by the UI’s College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences already are taught face-to-face at the school’s Moscow campus, Provost John Wiencek said.

A two-year master of public administration degree is geared to people serving in local government. A bachelor’s degree in sociology, with an emphasis in criminology, will likely appeal to those working in law enforcement who wish to further their education, Wiencek said.

College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences Dean Andrew Kersten said UI is working to expand opportunities for potential students for whom attending classes on campus is not practical.

“I believe that some of our enrollment growth at the university will be in the online sphere,” Kersten said. “Not everyone who wants or needs a degree from the University of Idaho can move to Moscow.”

The online classes will be taught by the same professors who teach students on the Moscow campus, Kersten said.

The board also approved an on-campus addition to the law school, a one-year master of laws program geared toward international students who have law degrees from other countries and whose work requires them to have knowledge of U.S. law.

Also at Thursday’s meeting:

The board approved a temporary rule spelling out what constitutes bullying in Idaho schools and how it should be dealt with.

The rule specifies schools must make sure all school personnel, parents and students receive information annually on harassment, intimidation and bullying, and that school employees are expected to intervene in cases of bullying to prevent further incidents and protect the victim.

The rule will stand through the current legislative session, then the process will begin to implement a permanent policy. It was initiated when school districts asked for clarification of a bill passed by the Legislature in 2015, Idaho Department of Education spokesman Jeff Church said.

Board members got an update from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra’s office on efforts to make standardized test results sent home to parents easier to understand.

Ybarra said the state is “working toward a friendlier parent report” for the ISAT.

The test is also known as the SBAC, for the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium that developed it to align with the Common Core State Standards.

Idaho schools administered a pilot test two years ago, but saw SBAC scores for the first time last year.

Board member Linda Clark asked if this year’s test results could be sent home to parents before the end of the school year. Delays in getting all the tests scored meant some schools couldn’t send home scores from last spring until after the current school year started in the fall.

The results are more useful for teachers, parents and students if received in a timely way, she said, and getting them back before summer break saves school districts the cost of mailing them.

Ybarra agreed, but said because the testing window doesn’t close until mid-May, it may not be possible to get scores back before the end of the school year.